How many plot holes did you count in PotC:2?

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badducky

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So, you saw it. Don't pretend you didn't. How many plotholes did you count in Pirates of the Cashmoney 2: Curse of the Greedy Mouse?

It began with a plot hole, wherein Keira Knightley sits weepily in the rain (after the zooming tracking shot that lingered on her damp bosoms... sad when a movie peaks so early, isn't it?). Yet, in the next scene, the wedding is being stormed, and Keira is locked away in a prison cell with no opportunity to sit and weep in the rain (What rain? Where did this rain come from!?)

Also, many, many times characters jumped into a longboat with no food or water, and just started rowing and VOILA! picked up by another ship, and directed directly to the director's chosen destination.

So, let's count the plotholes. I've mentioned what... 4? How many times did characters find their perfect drift exactly? I think 4?
 

poetinahat

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Oh. I'd wanted to go and see it, but I thought it was a light fictional romp. I didn't realise it was based on a true story....

Seriously, though: did the plot holes spoil your enjoyment of the film?

Oh, heck, I'll still go. I've got a very highly developed WSD*.

*: Willing Suspension of Disbelief
 

maestrowork

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It's a fantasy. It's a silly Disney ride. The whole movie is about Capt. Jack Sparrow -- as long as he's in it, who cares about plot holes.

But yes, as a writer I get really annoyed by the script. Not just plot holes, but character inconsistency. And Jack is so great that I find myself not caring about any other characters, least of all Will Turner *yawn*.

On major plot hole (it's not really a spoiler, don't worry): The Caribbean is a very large area, and these are not power boats.... but they seem to be able to go wherever they want, QUICKLY, and meet up with the other characters AT THE SAME TIME. Talk about plot convenience. I wish I could write a story without regard to plot (as long as I have a sweet character like Jack Sparrow) and sell $135 million in three days....

I can dream, can't I?
 

Pennywise

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Why is it that people need to find something to criticise these days?

You cant enjoy watching films very much if you just sit there looking for plot holes. I mean, tell me one film where there isnt some sort of plot hole or inconsistency.

Take POTC:2 for example. Yeah, it had plot holes but without them it would have been a very long, boring film. Imagine watching johnny Depp for 3 hours sailing to Tortuga? and then another 3 hours back to where he came from.

At the end of the day, its like poetinahat said, its a light fictional romp, key word being FICTIONAL. Its not some sort of documentary.

I really feel sorry for you if all you do is sit there watching a film with your notepad, taking down all the plot holes and then running to the pc to tell the world how great you are for finding failings in other peoples work.

Rant over, phew!
 

Jcomp

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badducky said:
Also, many, many times characters jumped into a longboat with no food or water, and just started rowing and VOILA! picked up by another ship, and directed directly to the director's chosen destination.

Well, that's not really a plot hole so much as it is deus ex machina...
 

maestrowork

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As writers we should care if another writer(s) do something without regard to plot or character integrity. Otherwise, why should we care about our own plot holes? Why not just throw them out there, as long as I keep the pace so fast that the readers just keep turning the pages, right? There you go, the perfect Da Vinci Code recipe. And I wish you success.

Yes, I am not going to take PotC:2 seriously because it's a light exciting romp. I gave it a good rating in my review because of that. But to say: "Who cares about plot holes because it's such a fun ride" would be an insult to those of us who take our writing/plotting seriously. And PotC:2 is chockfull of potholes and inconsistencies and WTF moments whether you care or not. So why can't we point them out? You can always ignore.

This is, after all, a writers' board.
 

maestrowork

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Pennywise said:
Why is it that people need to find something to criticise these days?

Because critical thinking is part of being an intelligent, reasonable person. We are not sheeples. We don't just lap up what Hollywood throws as us and say, Wheeeeeeee!

I happened to enjoy the first PotC very much because the story made sense and the characters were great. Not quite the same with PotC:2 but I did enjoy it for what it is. But if I see plot problems, I am DAMN SURE to talk about them.
 

Cthulhu

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I didn't notice any real plotholes...

Sure, there may have been some unrealistic things, but that would the whole fast travelling and getting picked up. I wouldn't consider that so much a plothole as, like Jcomp said, deus ex machina.

As far as the first example, the wedding in the rain, that wasn't a plothole at all...Kiera wasn't weepy there, just wet and waiting for Will, so she got there early because she's excited to get married and what-not. Then the guards brought Will with them when they went to the wedding site, where Kiera was. No plotholes there...just a series of events. And the oddity of her being there seemingly a while before the ceremony.
 

maestrowork

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No bride would be waiting alone at the altar in the rain, soaking wet.

C'mon.

If I were a literary agent, I would put this ms. back into the slushpile upon reading that first line...
 
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Pennywise

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If you want to let plot-holes and bad writing ruin your experience of watching films, then thats up to you. But like I said before, tell me one film that doesnt have a single plot-hole, incinsistency or poorley written line.

When I watch films, I like to kick my shoes of and lose myself in another world for an hour or too. Not sit there and over analyse everything.

At the end of the day, its only a film. Some people will love it, some will hate it. Nothings perfect.
 

Shadow_Ferret

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maestrowork said:
Yes, I am not going to take PotC:2 seriously because it's a light exciting romp. I gave it a good rating in my review because of that. But to say: "Who cares about plot holes because it's such a fun ride" would be an insult to those of us who take our writing/plotting seriously. And PotC:2 is chockfull of potholes and inconsistencies and WTF moments whether you care or not. So why can't we point them out? You can always ignore.

This is, after all, a writers' board.

I don't care if you point it out. If it helps me as a writer, I'm all for it. I take my writing as serious as the next writer. *glances over and sees person with a maniacal stare* Well, except for him. Yet my question still stands. What the hell is a plot hole? I've ne'er heard the term before (or I've forgotten it). :)
 

Histry Nerd

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I loved it. Not quite as much as the first one, and it did seem to be mostly a trailer for the third, but yeah. Pirates, a beautiful sassy heroine, and an undead monkey--where's the negative?

Of course, I did notice it was very easy for the rowboats to cross the Caribbean, and for the various vessels to find each other on the open sea. Now a guy with octopus tentacles for a beard, I can buy--but that bugged me.

But the scene with the water wheel redeemed everything. I haven't often laughed that much in a movie.

Yeah, I'll be buying the DVD.

HN
 

kikazaru

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Unless they are really glaring, I rarely notice plot holes or inconsistancies in a movie. I'm there to escape, eat some popcorn and drool over Johnny Depp (he's only 2 years younger than me so I feel perfectly alright with this!;)). When I'm reading a tale, that's much different - then it bugs me because I can go back and see any glaring mistakes, and I can't believe that the editor didn't catch them. Movies are way too fast moving and enjoyable for me to want to nitpick.

Btw I haven't seen Potc2 yet since it has been sold out every night I've gone.:(
 

CaroGirl

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When I watch a film, I almost always watch it critically (unless it's soooo great I get lost in it - rare). It does not, however, ruin my enjoyment of the film. I enjoy being critical and noting (usually just to myself) plotholes, inconsistencies, continuity problems. It's fun for me, sick as that might seem for others.

I went to see The Devil Wears Prada on Friday night. Oh boy, that movie was ripe for criticism if ever there was one. So what? I still enjoyed it. As movies go, it was pretty good. Meryl Streep was a blast. Anne Hathaway was...is...she...well...she's got really big brown eyes. I haven't seen PoTC: 2 yet. I saw the first one and thought it was lots of fun, if completely implausible and impossible.

I've seen enough truly bad movies to know a good one when I see it, even if it isn't perfect.
 

Jcomp

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Pennywise said:
If you want to let plot-holes and bad writing ruin your experience of watching films, then thats up to you. But like I said before, tell me one film that doesnt have a single plot-hole, incinsistency or poorley written line.

When I watch films, I like to kick my shoes of and lose myself in another world for an hour or too. Not sit there and over analyse everything.

At the end of the day, its only a film. Some people will love it, some will hate it. Nothings perfect.

So.... you just like every movie you see? Don't get me wrong, I think nitpicking over every plot hole, plot dump, deus ex, etc. is kind of silly too, but I also think there is something very valuable in critiquing films and at least attempting to make Hollywood accountable for putting out quality product.
 

MidnightMuse

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Shadow_Ferret said:
Yet my question still stands. What the hell is a plot hole? I've ne'er heard the term before (or I've forgotten it). :)

For Definition, See: The Matrix.
 

maestrowork

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Pennywise said:
If you want to let plot-holes and bad writing ruin your experience of watching films, then thats up to you. But like I said before, tell me one film that doesnt have a single plot-hole, incinsistency or poorley written line.

When I watch films, I like to kick my shoes of and lose myself in another world for an hour or too. Not sit there and over analyse everything.

At the end of the day, its only a film. Some people will love it, some will hate it. Nothings perfect.

I happen to enjoy the first PotC immensely, and I LOVED Jurassic Park, and yes, both had plot holes. I happen to enjoy a lot of popcorn movies.

I am not expecting perfection, but give me less deus ex machina, please. Sometimes the whole point of something happening is that they can pick someone else up, as in "Uh, how are we going to get Will, Elizabeth and Sparrow back together? I know, let them meet in the open sea!" Things like that significantly impair my enjoyment of the movie. When I want to submerge myself in fantasy land for two hours (and pay $10 for it), I want it to make sense to me.

I said it was fun. I didn't say it wasn't. But I'll be darn to just chalk the plot holes, etc. as "who cares?"

And no, it's not just a film. It's not just a book. It's not just a painting.
 
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Pennywise

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Jcomp said:
So.... you just like every movie you see?

I'm not saying that at all.

I'm just saying that I go to see a movie with an open mind and try and remember it for the good bits, not the the bad bits. Its just the way I look at life I suppose. I try and see the good in everything; films, books, people, life in general. If you spend all your time looking for the negative in things, you'll never be happy.

I'm not saying that you're all moody gits, its just that society in general tends to take great pleasure in knocking things. As the saying goes: Its easy to criticise.
 

Celia Cyanide

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The problem is, you can find plot holes in anything if you really look. Sometimes, things happen in real life that don't quite make sense. Sometimes, things happen, and you don't know why. You don't get to say, "But they never explained why this happened!"

I haven't see PotC2 yet, but I always thought the plot fo both films was, "Johnny Depp is a genius." I don't see where the holes could be in that. :)
 
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